DIG VII
by VesperChan
Summary: Sasori never expected a pink haired girl to fall from the sky, and she never expected to fall in love.
1. Restless

**RESTLESS**

Pairing: _Sakura Sasori  
_Rating: T  
Genre: Romance/action  
Words:1625  
Standard Disclaimer applied

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We all have a weakness,  
but some of ours are easy to identify,

Look me in the eye,  
and ask for forgiveness.

We'll make a pact to never speak that word again,  
yes, you are my friend.

We all have something that digs at us,  
at least we dig each other.

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Sasori was restless.

Nothing abnormal there. The poor guy rarely got any sleep these days anyway- what with all the work that was piling up. Being an A list artist had its downside.

But tonight's restlessness was different for all the other nights. Somehow he didn't feel like falling asleep-as if he weren't suppose to.

Groaning, the handsome youth pulled himself up and pushed back the covers of his black and steel, queen sized bed. He wasn't going to sleep this way. Maybe a glass of warm milk would calm his nerves. He doubted it, but was willing to try anything that would put an end to this near maddening insomnia. Now he understood what his cousin Gaara had to go through every night.

He fumbled around with the bedside table for a few moments before finding the light switch to another steel lamp.

Aided by the new light, he found his slippers and proceeded to venture out into the kitchen. He was wearing nothing other than a pair of silky black boxers, knowing that no matter how cool the nights got out here in the desert, he wouldn't be affected as long as he had an extra pair of sheets in the hall closet.

In late February he was already finding the temperature rising higher than what most were used to. He, of course, was acclimated, but that didn't mean his friend and partner Deidara Iwa wasn't. The dumb blond would go on forever, complaining about the heat.

Passing through the hall he flipped on the lights, lighting up the kitchen. Like the rest of his house, cold gray and steel was the theme that dominated the cooking and eating area. He preferred it that way. Modern and efficient. He had no use for anything other than that.

He yawned and looked out into the spacious living room that was consisted of a floor to ceiling window that took up the entire room. The cacti and desert rocks were the only things he could see when the sun was out. This landscape held the type of serenity that made his muse pick up and sell his works.

But not tonight.

The desert was quiet, he noticed. It lacked the usual hum and throb of life that emerged only at night. During the day it was much more quiet. He brushed a stray bang of crimson out of his line of vision before turning towards the kitchen. Maybe it was because he had flooded his fishbowl of a house with light, scarring off the coyote and desert hare that gathered in his property. Whatever the reason, it did not concern him.

After making it big as an artists, he had moved out of his tiny Phoenix apartment and bought this house from a friend who was hitting rock bottom with his work. There wasn't anyone else around for a good few miles making it an ideal location for an artist. His driveway in it's self was a mile and a half long.

He liked his privacy.

Being a cold and silent person, as his partner Deidara had said, Sasori found that he was the sort of person that repelled other people away. Maybe he scared them with his dead set eyes and cold stares. He had been told more than once that he looked like a dead puppet when he was at those pointless exhibit parties that had no meaning to them what so ever. It's not like he tried to be a scary or displeasing person, that was simply his nature. He could no sooner change that than the very make up that was his DNA.

Still, this didn't stop the mass of women that had only seen him through the Internet from sending him truckloads of love letters and gifts. A few of them had even been a tad bit on the disturbing side. Thankfully, his location and address was unknown to these woman.

He wondered how long that would last, knowing how relentless some of them could be. The though would have made a lesser man shiver in fear, but Sasori merely shrugged off the idea. He wasn't above scaring the females away himself if it came to it. It wasn't a womanizing lady's man like Deidara, or a suave gentleman like Itachi. He was cold and quiet and...alone.

He pulled the gallon sized carton of milk out of the stainless steel fridge and found a clean mug in one of the cabinets. He poured himself a glass and set it in the microwave to heat. He had just finished entering the last digit when something hit his house.

"The hel-" he hissed in irritation as the shock wave hit.

Everything around him turned as he fell out of balance. Books and lamps fell to the ground, a few of the pictures on the wall following them with a crash and shattering of glass. The floor from underneath him seemed to shift as he tumbled onto the tile. He lay there, with his arms spread out calmly before him, trying to reduce the severity of a possible injury. Already he could feel a bruise forming from where the stainless steel kettle had hit him.

A moment passed and everything seemed to still.

The world was holding its breath.

Ignoring the chime of his microwave, he grabbed a robe from his bedroom and a black light with the intention of finding out what it was that made his house rock.

The bright purple light stretched out in front of him, turning the backs of scorpions neon green as they scurried away from him. He was well aware of how dangerous the small creatures could be, having almost lost his father to a baby one. The baby ones were the ones you wanted to look out for, since they can't control their venom and often end up shooting it all out when they sting someone, resulting in death to the small creature. Almost like a bumble bee.

Strangely enough, they hardly seemed like a threat to him, regardless of their venom. They were naturally repelled by his presence, earning him the nickname Scorpion of the red sand. It wasn't a name he was happy about, but he tolerated it because his grandmother was the one who started it.

Sometimes he would like to think that the devil himself would have to bend his head to the wit of that old lady.

She didn't even seem like a human at some times.

Smoke entered the line of light. There was something in the ground that had thrown rocks and dust and dirt up against his house. An item that had skidded to a stop after falling from the sky, maybe? He switched the light from purple to white, extending its reach and enhancing his sight.

What met his eyes was what he was expecting least.

A girl with long pink hair, covered in blood and burnt clothing. Or rather-the _remains_ of burnt clothing. There was hardly anything left, most of it looking like it had just suffered a trip through the furnace. There was a lot of blood too. She was hurt. He caught sight of her chest rising and falling and deducted that she was in fact, alive.

While he was a cold person in general, he wasn't entirely heartless. Propping the light on a rock, he slipped off his robe and crawled down into the creator where she was. The night air wasn't that bad. Reaching for her, he threaded the fabric underneath her body and wrapped her up in the large black thing. He was about to pull her up when she shifted in his arms.

Her face turned towards him, her long pinkish hair falling away from her now opened eyes. His cinnamon brown orbs met her own and he felt his body go numb as he was pulled under her glowing gaze. Her eyes, seemed inhuman, like those of a alien or devil. No-devil was not the right word. Angel was better. It was a blank shaded gaze, that looked like it could go on forever.

"Are you okay," he asked, surprised by how calm his voice still was.

A hand snaked into his hair, as she pulled herself up to close the distance between their lips.

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AN:/This is a seven theme challenge I took up. There will be seven chapter, each with a theme.

1. Restless  
2. New  
3. Glow  
4. Reflection  
5. Buckle  
6. Leaves  
7. Crackle

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!!_**

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	2. New

**NEW**

Pairing: _Sakura Sasori  
_Rating: T  
Genre: Romance/action  
Words:2114  
Standard Disclaimer applied

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We all have a weakness,  
but some of ours are easy to identify,

Look me in the eye,  
and ask for forgiveness.

We'll make a pact to never speak that word again,  
yes, you are my friend.

We all have something that digs at us,  
at least we dig each other.

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NEW

For what seemed like the hundredth time that day, Sasori ran his forefinger and thumb over his lips, tracing them with care as his thoughts wandered back to the previous night and it's happenings. That strange girl had reached up and kissed him all of a sudden before falling back asleep. Right now she was in the guest room, clean of blood and resting in a spare set of pajamas.

He felt his face heat up at the memory.

He looked back down at his work and sighed. He was (for once) ahead of schedule on his sculptures but he had a feeling his work schedule might be interrupted in the future, so it would be best he he was prepared for that. The metal in his hands was cool now-unlike the wood he preferred to work with. He enjoyed making dolls and puppets, but his metal sculptures brought him money and fame.

He looked up to see the last few threads of red taint the cloud for the day. In a few minuets the glow would be gone, and the pinkish red glow would be gone. That was another thing he liked about the deserts. The sunsets were breathtaking, the best anywhere in the world. To him they were a symbol of eternity and stability. No matter what happens to you during the day and no matter how bad your life may be, you can always count on the sun setting at the end of the day. That was what he though true art was.

To Sasori, art lasted forever, unlike the view of his friend Deidara Iwa. The blond idiot had this stupid idea that beauty was fleeting. Where was the art in that? What was the point in it? There is none. Fleeting beauty was nothing but utter nonsense. This argument often came up when sunsets were mentioned, since Deidara though they were fleeting beauties that only lasted for a few minuets. He foolishly looked over the fact that they happened every day.

Sasori's thoughts were cut through by the sound of the heavy metal door to his workshop opening. That thing was heavy, there was no way anything short of a human being could push open that thing. He had designed it, after all.

He turned around in his seat and was surprised to see the pink haired beauty from the night before standing in the threshold to his workspace. Dressed in a pair of his old pajamas from when he was a teenager, she stood staring at the twisted piece of scrap metal that he was about the throw away. Something about her half lidded eyes and long curved lashes made his insides churn.

That was new.

She lifted her entire arm and pointed at the object. There was a breath of silence before she spoke. "Will you be needing that?"

Sasori blinked, looking at her and then down at the piece of metal before returning his gaze back up to her. Maybe she wanted an autograph. "You may have it," he replied holding it out.

Her arm fell back to her side and she started to climb over the debris that littered the floor and prevented her from getting to him.

Sasori utilized this opportunity to watch her move. She wasn't clumsy or awkward with her movements like he though she would be. She looked to be injured last he saw her, so she shouldn't be this graceful in getting to him. Where was the limp, the wince, the sting? She should be hurt, shouldn't she? Regardless of this, she seemed to glide with a force no other human possessed. A charming, siren allure that could be deadly on any other man.

The red haired youth didn't want to sound like he was praising her, but she didn't seem like any other human he had encountered. She was almost a bit suspicious. The idealistic feminine body she possessed hadn't been lost on him when he had been cleaning her wounds. He knew there were woman out there that would kill to have legs and breasts like that. Suspicion flared up in him again as she reached for the metal in his hands. She was too perfect.

The though had just barely been realized I his mind before 'it' happened.

The metal in her hands glowed red and then white, hovering at her fingertips, radiating heat. Almost as if it had been just pulled from an enormous fire. And then there was her eyes, they were wide and white. Her hair flapped around her as her skin glowed with the metal.

Sasori wasn't an expert on people, but he had a vague idea of what they could and could no do. People did not glow and levitate burning metal in their hands. Nope, this was definitely new.

The twisted piece of metal in her hands that was now humming, burst into tiny, little shards and were absorbed into her body. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back sighing in enjoyment. Or at least that is what it sounded like before her body began to return to a normal temperature and color.

She sleepily looked up and seemed to see Sasori for the first time. "Thank you for the nourishment, you assistance has been most appreciated."

"Ah," Sasori replied, still sounding as calm and cool as ever.

"May I have the name of me benefactor?" she asked, this time with a small smile.

The red head nodded. "My name is Sasori, and you are?"

She seemed to pause, as if thinking this over. "I suppose you may call me Sakura. It is the only name I can think of that you can use in this language."

"Language? You mean you don't speak English?"

"No, not naturally. I only learned the language last night when I absorbed it from you."

Absorbed? So that was what it was last night. For some strange reason, Sasori seemed a bit disappointed. It had been nothing personal, after all. "So, I see."

She didn't take notice of the disappointed note in his tone. "I must thank you for that as well. As of now, I am unable to form contact with the others. May I stay with you?"

"Stay, with me? For how long would that be?" Sasori asked, a bit surprised. He wanted to know who the others where as well, but first thing first. He needed to know how long she would be staying.

"A week, minus the time I have already spent with you-that would be six day. That's how long it will take for my location to be deciphered."

Sasori nodded. "And that is, by the others you speak of?" She nodded cheerfully. "Who are they."

"The are others like myself." She paused and a flicker of thought was exposed in here eyes for only a moment before she continued speaking again "Others who are not human. I know of no other way to describe them to you."

"...Are you...aliens? The whole crashing down to earth stunt you pulled last night proved to me you are not human. No one could have survived a fall like that. People on the news were talking about seeing an abnormally bright shooting star. That was you, wasn't it."

She smiled and nodded, apparently unashamed.

"You picked a great place to land. Arizona is a hot spot for alien loving freaks. The state is filled with them."

"Arizona was an ideal crash area for my kind. The terrain is unlike any other in the world," she said, walking around the room while speaking to apparently no one. Her eyes were no longer on Sasori.

"You mean the red rocks?" he asked, calling out to her.

"Yes! They are wonderful, no?" Her voice bounced off the walls before reaching him, giving it a creepy, distant feel. "I've watched them for centuries."

"Centuries? How old are you?"

Her laugh echoed all around him. "Somewhere close to seven thousand years old, I've lose count of the exact year." Sasori was glad she wasn't around to see the expression on his face.

Sasori got up to follow her, not liking how she was running away from him. He felt better being able to see her. Who knew what she would eat or suck up next. "What do you call yourselves."

She stopped walking, and turned around to face him, no longer smiling. "Us? You are referring to my kind whom are not human." Sasori nodded, watching her frown. "We have no name for ourselves. We never really needed one. The only time a name was introduced was when one of us crash landed on this earth. A human gave us a name we do not enjoy repeating."

She didn't say anything more, and Sasori had a feeling she wouldn't say anything more unless he asked, directly. "And that was?"

"...Devil's Instrument-G. When my brother was taken by the humans so many years ago, this is what they named us. The G was the name of the facility where he was being held. He has since been freed, but the code name DIG has haunted us as a taboo would for forevermore. No one speaks of it."

He thought back to the first time he had seen her, bleeding in that creator. What was it in him that compelled her to think her a devil? That had been his thought, and yet, he didn't want it do be. He still didn't trust her completely-not by a long shot, but she seemed harmless enough for a female alien. Was there any way someone that good looking could be deadly?

Maybe.

He wouldn't think about that, tonight though. Tonight he was be a good host and entertain his guest like any other normal human would. Mind you, Sasori knew he was not a normal human, but that didn't stop him from wanting to act like one in front of _her_.

_God_, was she gorgeous!

The sun was gone, and the hanging lights were the only tings keeping the room illuminated. Even so, he could see her look away from him. She didn't look very comfortable. Maybe he had asked too much. All of this was pretty new to him and he was having trouble believing most of it. Still, it's not like he minded having her around. She was intriguing, to say the least.

"Is all you eat metal or would you like a cup of coco?" he asked, hesitantly-all the while remaining calm. She cracked a small smile at this.

"I wasn't eating it, I was absorbing it into my arsenal in case of another encounter with the beings that shot me down. I control metal and use it as a projectile in combat. But yes, coco sounds nice." Before he could reply she was at his side, her lips on his. She pulled away and smiled at his blank expression. "Don't worry, this time it was a kiss."

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AN:/This is a seven theme challenge I took up. There will be seven chapter, each with a theme.

√1. Restless  
√2. New  
3.** Glow  
4. Reflection  
5. Buckle  
6. Leaves  
7. Crackle**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!!_**

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	3. Glow

**GLOW**

Pairing: _Sakura Sasori  
_Rating: T  
Genre: Romance/action  
Words:2122  
Standard Disclaimer applied

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We all have a weakness,  
but some of ours are easy to identify,

Look me in the eye,  
and ask for forgiveness.

We'll make a pact to never speak that word again,  
yes, you are my friend.

We all have something that digs at us,  
at least we dig each other.

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GLOW

For what seemed like the first time in his life, Sasori was anxiously excited for the night to come. Never before had he anticipated something with so much vigor that at some points he believed his heart would stop.

For an alien, Sakura needed more sleep that the average person. She said that it was only because her body was not yet acclimated to this earth's atmosphere. By tomorrow she should be back to normal-thanks to the red rocks of the desert. Something about them helped her inner injuries heal faster.

It was already nightfall when she finally emerged from the guest room, dressed in a pair of baggy jeans that he had forgotten to throw away once he outgrew them and an old gray shirt from his ASU days. (ASU being his collage). There was a hole towards the collar and a few more towards the end. When he saw what she was wearing he had offered to lend her one of his nicer shirts, but she declined, saying that this one was comfortable.

He was seated across from here she stood, inwardly fidgeting with what some would call glee. If his mother had seen seen him she would have laughed and said he looked like an anxious puppy.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, motioning to the plate of taquitos and salsa on the coffee table. "I made snacks, in case you were."

She smiled sitting down on the floor in front of him, tucking her legs underneath her and the table. "Thank you, Sasori. I am quite hungry. Sleeping can work up an appetite." She smiled in thanks before picking up a wrap and biting into it.

Sasori watched her calmly getting caught up in her movements as if they were a ballet of angels. Truly, he had never seen anyone capture him so with so little effort. She was eating for heaven's sake. How was that suppose to be graceful?

"Is there something troubling you, Sasori?" The red head looked up after hearing his name called. He liked the way it sounded, coming from her. "You look tired."

"Thank you for your concern, but I am alright. I'm just...." he looked up to meet her eyes and found himself trapped once again. "A bit...overwhelmed."

Sakura stilled, smiling sadly almost. "I apologize. We seem to have that affect on people-some more than others. I find artists seem to be the most unfortunate when coming under my presence. I haven't come in contact with another since the eighteen hundreds. That parting was...messy."

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_"Sai, I'm going home now," she softly explained._

_ Fear gripped the young man and his heart jumped out of his chest in a painful leap. No, no, no, she couldn't go. Not her, not his insperation. She was the goddess of muse in essence! How could he let her go? She was the only one that understood him and...and... was open with him. She was the only precious person in his life. _

_ "No, I won't let you! You can stay here-with me," he blurted out in a panic. _

_Her pale arm was in his hands in the next moment as he held her in a death grip. He wouldn't let his angel get away. Not her, anyone else could fall off the face of the earth and die for all he cared, but not her! Anyone but her. It just couldn't be her. NOT HER!_

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Sasori could see that she was thinking over something painful and though it wise not to interrupt her chain of thoughts. It didn't take long before she was eating and smiling again.

"I haven't made emotional contact with a human since. Sai was the only one that I came across that grew to be...unstable. He was antisocial to an unhealthy level and had no relatives to speak of-aside from a cruel father who shared not a drop of blood. I was hesitant about staying here after I learned you were an artist, but you have friends and family, even if they are few-so you won't go mad."

Something sharp and animal like rose up in his chest when she talked about another man like that. It almost sounded endearing. He didn't like her talking about other men, even if they were long dead by over a century. "What about the DI-I mean, that other time you came to earth?"

She smirked. "I was in and out, not even present for six hours. No emotional contact was formed. It's nice to be back here again. I missed this place dearly."

"I'm glad you are enjoying yourself."

She took a chip and dunked it in the salsa before popping it in her mouth to saver. She purred like a kitten, enjoying the meal. "The food is really good too. Nourishment from where I come from is nothing like down here. There was never any flavor to it. I've almost forgotten what a joy it was to eat food."

"What do you eat out there-er, I mean at wherever it is you live?"

"Natural gasses mostly-space matter sometimes. I don't know how else I could describe it for you. You would view it as junk." She paused to chuckle before grabbing another chip for herself. "I suggest you don't think about it too much."

She looked extremely cute, trying to get the salsa off her face with her tongue. Almost like a small kitten. Hard to believe she was several centuries old, she looked so young. If he had to guess he would pin her at 17, maybe 18 years of age. Was this really real?

She looked up and their eyes met, jump starting his heart. He wanted to keep her talking for some reason. Maybe it was to solidify her existence and erase all doubt that she could be some made of fantasy. And of course there was her voice. He could listen to her ramble on about nothing for hours- it was so beautifle.

"Do you miss any of it?"

She shook her head, her hair brushing across her face. "No, not yet. It's been far too long since I've been with another human. I remember now, why I bother to come down to this place. Your company is highly desirable. Thank you once again for housing me, I'm enjoying myself."

Sasori could feel his face heat up as he remembered her kiss from yesterday. "Really?"

She laughed a bell like laugh that he wished would go on forever and nodded once again, standing up. "Yes, of course, Sasori!" She held her hand out to Sasori, surprising him. "Will you come with me, outside? I want to show you something."

Her hand was smooth and warm to touch, but it was a comforting warmth he enjoyed. Like vibrating ivory, she pulled him along. Dancing out the door with a bumbling love stuck fool at her hand she laughed at his reddened expression-knowing why. He probably looked like the essence of clumsiness compared to her.

The rocks and dust crumbled and sounded under his feet as he walked-following her, but it made no sound when she glided across it. Was she even there?

"Sakura!" he called out, suddenly frightened when her hand left his. Would she leave him?

She stopped and turned around to look at him, her eyes level with his-despite her half a head height disadvantage. His heart had skipped millions of times in her presence but it had never stopped like it had now. Her standing there, against the star filled sky, eyes of emerald fire _glowing_ in the darkness. She had always awed him, but now...there was something else.

She was frightening!

Her eyes didn't look like the eyes of a human anymore. Her body didn't look like the body of a human's anymore. Her skin glowed and hummed a soft peach white color, generating warmth. Her hair was weightless around her head and face, giving her a ghost like appearance. But still his sight was draw-in tunnel vision- to her eyes. Eyes didn't glow like that.

It scared him how beautifle she was. She was too far above him. Far, far, far too high above him. He didn't even have a hope of-what was it that he wanted. He wanted her company-her presence, her voice to stay with him. He didn't want to loose her.

"What are you doing out here?"

She must have not noticed the panic in his tone or worry in his eyes, since she smiled and pointed up towards the canopy of darkness, dotted only by stars. "I wanted to show you something."

"The stars?" he asked, looking up.

"You thought that was where I existed, right?"

He looked back down at her, tearing his eyes away from the heavens. "You mean it's not? If that's true, then where did you..."

"Our existence can not be tied down to one place. You could call us nomads if you used your imagination. We don't live out there in space, but that is where we spend most of our time. Some of us take on lives here on earth for a generation or so with their lovers. It's rare, but they sometimes give off the illusion of aging to appease their husband or wife. Mostly, we just travle around the earth and between deminsions whenever it pleases us. I wanted to explain this to you since you had it in your mind that were were extra terrestrial beings. Like E.T."

Sasori's mind whirred with the new information. So her kind did sometimes...stay with humans for a lifetime, even going as far as to marry. So there was hope for him and his dream of her! If she wanted to, she could stay here with him. If he could make her happy enough, she would stay with him.

"Do you still want to go back, knowing that your brothers and sisters have had lives here on earth with other people, Sakura? Don't you ever want what they had?" Sasori asked hesitantly as the desert hummed it's silence around him-all the while avoiding her.

She looked down, almost sadly as she thought over his words. "Maybe...this life I live has no meaning to it. I'm afraid of the nothingness your people call death, so I flea from danger, but at the same time, I am afraid of living without a meaning. The void is frightening, but I am faced with two on both sides. I want what my sisters are willing to die for. I've lost two of my dearest friends to death, you know. But they were not afraid to die for their lovers, their husbands. I want that happiness. "

Sasori was by her side in a moment holding her hands in his. He leaned down and let his brow brush against her own, their noses touching. "Sasori-" This time it was he who led in the thievery of a kiss, but strangly, Sakura didn't mind.

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AN:/This is a seven theme challenge I took up. There will be seven chapter, each with a theme.

√1. Restless  
√2. New  
√3.**Glow  
4. Reflection  
5. Buckle  
6. Leaves  
7. Crackle**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!!_**

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	4. Reflection

REFLECTION

Pairing: _Sakura Sasori  
_Rating: T  
Genre: Romance/ action  
Words:2000  
Standard Disclaimer applied

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We all have a weakness,  
but some of ours are easy to identify,

Look me in the eye,  
and ask for forgiveness.

We'll make a pact to never speak that word again,  
yes, you are my friend.

We all have something that digs at us,  
at least we dig each other.

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REFLECTION

The green eyes alien female breathed in deeply, coming out of her dream into reality. Sakura reached up to rub her tired eyes and was surprised to find her fists coming in contact with a fresh wave of tears.

When had she cried? Was something in her eye? What had she dreamed about?

Groaning, she closed her eyes, whipping away the excess tears with her arm before turning over and curling back up in the warm sheets. She hadn't meant to, but she had ended up becoming a nocturnal being during her stay with the artist named Sasori.

_Sasori_.

He was a truly intriguing character. When she had kissed him the first night, she had absorbed more than just the English language. She was able to absorb his emotions at that time and all his memories up till that point. His memories of family and friends, of funerals and celebrations. All of it up to that point-with a few exception-was in her mind. Having this, it felt like she had known the artist her entire life.

Absorbing from a human was a common practice in her kind. Lately, it had become necessary. They needed to know if the human they were entrusting themselves to for a short time was trustworthy or selfish. None of her brothers or sisters wanted a repeat of what happened that one time when they were given the name DIG. The mere memory of that invasion sent shivers down her spine. How could humans be so cruel to them?

Sakura rolled over in bed and grabbed the extra pillow to hug and burry her face in. She was one of the oldest of her kind, but her memory deteriorated every time she spend time on earth. She couldn't remember clearly, but some of her brothers who only touched earth once or twice spoke of a tree with fruit that gave them this body of fire and life. This immortality was earned somehow, they weren't born like this-or at least she wasn't.

There were Juugo and Suigetsu. Both were offspring of two immortal beings. They were as much her brother as their father had been before he had married. They weren't really brothers and sisters-they were all just really close. Of course the option of committing ones self to another was there-however her kind rarely thought about such matters.

Sakura caught herself before she became too wrapped up in her thoughts. It was only when she was here on earth that she thought like this. When she was in her other fiery form these thoughts never came to her. There was no need for them. This made her sad, since she knew that once she went back to the others she wouldn't think like this again. She enjoyed thinking and regretted having to give it up.

But if she stayed with Sasori she would have to give them up.

The though sent her into a fit of giggles as she imagined herself living on earth forever until Sasori died. She would never do that. Living with someone for so long and growing so close was painful when you know that you will go on to live forever while he will waste away in what seemed like moments.

But she could give up her immortality. Why not? Hinata and Tenten had done it when they found their forever-men. The thought scared her and thrilled her at the same time. She liked Sasori, she really did. A part of her almost wanted to stay with him forever. But that big black void of death was there at the end of it all.

Sakura sighed, climbing out of bed with her resolve firmly set. No, she would leave once her brothers came to pick her up. She wouldn't think of such foolish things ever again. She wouldn't think at all. Maybe this is why she only did it when she was on earth. Thinking could be dangerous.

The floor was cold underneath her feet, causing her to shudder and run a bolt of heat down her legs to warm up her feet. That being done, she was able to walk about the romm's cold tile floor without shoe or shiver. All she had worn to bed that night had ben an oversized tee shirt of Sasori's that barely brushed past her thighs. Still, that had been enough to keep her warm with al the extra blankets she had raided from his closet.

A new pair of pants and another of his old tee shirts had been set out by her the previous day for when she woke up. Today's shirt was a deep coppery red with tiny gold dragons along the left side. The just fit her, fueling her suspicion that it hadn't been his to begin with. She tried to recall in her mind all his memories once again but was only met with searing pain and a murky gray.

'I guess it's too late to dig into his memories, I'm already acclimating to this place.' she thought, a bit sourly. There were a few of his memories she had liked to keep that weren't there anymore. The bigger ones were there and would probably be there for a very long time-heck she still had some from Sai- but little details like where this shirt came from were lost in the murky gray.

It was better this way. It was wrong to dig so deeply into another person's mind and steal his thoughts and memories for your own. She would leave him to his priviacy... even if the curious was tearing her up inside. There were other ways to know such things. She would just have to ask him after she finished with her late night shower.

Tomorrow she would be able to transport clothing from where she normally rested to where she was now. She hated having to always borrow from Sasori. It made her feel like a pushover. He said he didn't mind at all, but she minded. It wasn't in her character to take things from people without repaying them.

Turning the water on hot, she ran her nails through her hair and thought about all of it. She would just have to repay him later.

-

Waring the clothing she had pointed out earlier, Sakura glided out of the guest room in search of her generous benefactor. Her long hair was sill wet and hugged her flesh and shoulders as if they were soaked in honey in place of water.

She rubbed a droplet out of her eye before coming to stop at the threshold to a closed of sitting room. The first thing that came to her eyes was a reflection of herself, or at least the top part of her face. There was a large floor length mirror that appeared to have no frame-hovering on the wall, being held by nothing. In front of that mirror, Sasori had seated himself upon a pile of throw pillows that were previously arranged along the couch.

In the mirror, Sakura could see Sasori as well as herself as she came to stand beside him. His expression was sad, making her sorrowful as well. He hadn't been so sad when she first walked in. Was her presence making him upset?

"What is wrong, Sasori?"

"Nothing bothers me, Sakura."

She trailed a forefinger through his hair, curling a lock around it before letting it fall free. The action seemed to relax him. She remembered this was something his mother used to do with him before she died. It was one of the personal memories of his she still had.

"Please do not try to deceive me. If my presence brings you displeasure all you need to do is speak of it. I am imposing on you enough as it is." She stilled, waiting for him to jump in a verbal rebuke.

None came.

"It is me, isn't it?" She could have been cripple with the realization-it hurt that badly. He hated her? What had she done to him to cause it? The kiss? Was she to do something else after being loved in that physical manifestation of emotion?

Sasori sighed and looked away from the mirror. "No, it is not you, it's me and you. Look and see for yourself."

She looked in the mirror once more and saw nothing she hadn't the first time. "I see nothing that should cause you grief. Please, will you tell me what troubles you so?"

"Can't you see it?" he asked, almost surprised and a bit-was that annoyance?

Sakura folded her legs around one another and fell into a sitting position next to the distressed artist. "I can see nothing in our reflection that could make you... depressed. What is it that is bothering you? I can not see it so you will have to show me." She said this, taking his hand into her own.

He looked over at her, a bit downward since he was a good head taller that her when sitting. "How can you not see the contrast? I'm human, with imperfections in my skin and split end in my hair. When I cut myself and bleed it takes weeks to fully heal, and even then I sometimes scar. When my bones are broken I am bedridden and weak for months while they sluggishly heal. I have boundaries in my knowledge of this world. I must spend so much time and effort to grasp what you can take in an instant."

"You are depressed with you imperfections?" Sakura asked, a bit surprised. She hadn't expected someone as handsome as him would have thoughts such as these. He was handsome enough for the majority of male humans to envy for one reason or another.

"Not so much that, but rather my imperfection next to you. I can't find one in your or a reason why you would want to stay with me, and I'm not talking about for this weak. I want you to stay here with me, live with me, love with me, stay always by my side. It's selfish, I know, but I can not chase this thought away," Sasori breathed, grabbing her arm and burying his head in the crook between her shoulder and neck.

Sakura looked back up the mirror, this time exception to see the imperfections Sasori had pointed out-but found none of them. She couldn't see anything wrong or worth changing in him. She loved him just the way he was. Yes, she was finding and admitting it right here and now while she still had the courage to do so. She loved this man and she wanted to die for him.

"I don't see it," she whispered in his ear, causing him to shiver. "And you're wrong. I want to stay and live here with you as well."

Like a phantom her lips brushed across his ear and rested on his face-doubled in the mirror as her reflection.

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**AN**:/This is a seven theme challenge I took up. There will be seven chapter, each with a theme.

Also, I put up a poll on my profile page. If you want to, you can go there and vote one who you want to see in the next muse inspiring oneshot I'm going to do. Because while my muse is low, I can always crank out these little oneshots for some strange reason. I though these were better than nothing while you wait for me to update my other stuff.

√1. Restless  
√2. New  
√3.Glow

**5. Buckle  
6. Leaves  
7. Crackle**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!!_**

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	5. Buckle

**BUCKLE**

Pairing: _Sakura Sasori  
_Rating: T  
Genre: Romance/ action  
Words:2226  
Standard Disclaimer applied

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We all have a weakness,  
but some of ours are easy to identify,

Look me in the eye,  
and ask for forgiveness.

We'll make a pact to never speak that word again,  
yes, you are my friend.

We all have something that digs at us,  
at least we dig each other.

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BUCKLE

Sasori was in the other room, reading. He hadn't said anything about it, but she had noticed how he had bent his life around her own. He was just as nocturnal as she was, and that was something that concerned her lightly.

He was an artist. That was his profession as well as his passion. The food and bed she used all came from his work. If she was disrupting this, she wanted to know so that she might put an end to it. Humans revolved around money-needing it. Sasori was no exception. She didn't want him to look away from his needs for her sake.

After all, it wasn't like she was leaving anymore. She giggled like a giddy school girl at the memory of last night. Despite herself, she couldn't help but admit that Sasori was insanely cute when he acted like a deprived child. Who knew he could be so possessive.

She was still piecing it together from the memories of him left behind in her mind, but he appeared to be the kind of person that didn't like to share with others. Weather it be with his GI Joe dolls and toys or his favorite female's thoughts, he wanted them all for himself and himself only. He had made that perfectly clear last night after he had finished clinging to her like a little lost boy without a mother.

The night had ended beautifully. He had drifted off to sleep soon after, his head resting on her lap as if it were a pillow. He seemed to be lulled into sleep by her combing fingers in his head. She remembered him almost purring in satisfaction as she pulled her fingers through his messy red locks, separating the tangles.

She adjusted the buckle on her leg band that kept her leg warmers from falling down her calfs. It was a bit out of fashion, or advanced in fashion, considering that it would be the biggest thing in a few years. She wore a warm raspberry and white patterned skirt with a few belts hanging loosely around her waist.

Her top was designed much like a corset, being mostly white with purple and red lace at the hem. Raspberry laces across her chest and stomach kept her slim figure exposed. There were a few belts in back of her corset as well, to keep it from looking baggy.

She was a lot skinnier that the avrage human girl, since she was still regenerating a few of the internal injuries. She couldn't feel them anymore, but she still needed to fill in a bit more before she could say she was fully healed. The first night was the night they hurt the most but now she hardly remembered them ever being there. Soon she would fade into being a human and no one would ever know she could heal this fast.

But still, if it meant she could stay with Sasori, she was more than willing, she thought while puling down the strap that wrapped around her left arm.

This was an outfit that had shown up on their doorstep late this morning. Sasori had brought it in for her and left it at the foot of her bed as she slept. She could almost remember him brusing away her bangs as she continued to slumber on, unaware of her surroundings. Weather she could remember it or not, she was able to feel his lip's mark on her face when she had woken up. So it looked like he had stolen a kiss from her in her sleep, had he?

"Sakura, are you done dressing yet?" the man of her thoughts called through the closed door.

"No," she half lied, pulling on the wrappings that protected her arms, all the while knowing what he would do.

The door opened and in walked a slightly disappointed Sasori. "I though you said you weren't done dressing."

"And yet you walk in as if everything is fine and dandy?" she teases, clicking the best on her wrist into place.

Sasori came to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist as she fussed with another buckle on her arm. He chuckled into her shoulder, before kissing the exposed part of it. "I thought I could help you." He paused, actually looked her over. "You all dress like this?"

"No, only those who wish to. There are no social norms or barriers for us and how we dress. If we want to walk around dressed in peacock feathers, or animal skins (how barbaric) we can. If we want to dress up like an ancient Egyptian with her brest bare and exposed that is allowed as well."

"I think I want to see that."

"I had no idea you were this much of a pervert when I first crashed into your yard. You should have warned me," Sakura giggled brushing Sasori off her shoulder before prancing into the sitting room where he used to be, his book still left out on the end table.

"I wasn't anything like this until you showed up, so the way I see it, you're the one t fault here."

"TED DECKER The BoneMan's Daughters. You read about serial killers?"

Sasori sighed, picking up the book, balancing it on his shoulder. "It's not like that, there's a lot more to it than just the serial killer. It's an adventure and a mystery all in one. I think you'll be surprised if you read it. This book isn't even out yet, but I know the author so I got an advanced copy, signed too."

Sakura eyed the book with a bit distrust before moving over to the bookshelf to pick out a different novel by the same author. "I would like to read a bit more, and see how the culture has changed over the years. I think I'll start with something like this..."

"Kiss?"

"It has a female protagonist!" Sakura huffed in reply, seeing his curious gaze. She smiled at his expression and put the book away. "But not right now. I want to experience one of those, home theaters I've heard so much about. Television has come a long way since I last touched down."

Sasori put down his book and instead picked up a black and gray stripped blanket that looked warm and fuzzy. "It's better with pop corn and a smoking hot stud to keep you warm. Pick out the movie and I'll make the food."

Sakura laughed to herself, watching him walk away. After she had agreed to stay with him, she had noticed an immediate change in his behavior. He didn't have to worry about the diminishing time he had left with her. He could look forward to a lifetime of living with her. It was as if he was suddenly full of confidence, turning into a cocky collage kid overnight. He flirted, joked, showered her with affection. She was beginning to like this new side of Sasori.

Sakura raked her hands through her hair and crawled over to the DVD cabinet. There were a lot of them, she noticed. Behind the first shelf there was another shelf that was lifted up once she opened the door. She picked through them, not really taking the time to read all the descriptions. She spotted one or two that had intriguing covers and a few remakes of old novels she had read during her stay with Sai.

She had a small stack she would present before Sasori and ask that he choose one out of the pile, since she couldn't come to a conclusion by herself. She didn't have to wait long for him to show up with the warm food. She was first alerted to his presence by the extra weight draping over her shoulders and then by the smell of butter and salt that followed close behind. "Hello there, Sasori."

"Did you find something you like?"

"I need your help. Will you choose one for me? I can't decide for myself."

"You'll probably like this one," he said, pulling out The Phantom of the Opera. "Have you read the book?"

"It was a long time ago, but yes I have. Is the movie any good? I'm particularly eager to see how a book about opera is portrayed with music."

Sasori kissed the top of her head, brushing away a small gathering of pink threads that clung to his fingers. "If you like the plot of the book, you'll like the movie. I'll set it up, you take the popcorn and the blanket and wait for me on the couch."

Sakura obliged, happily. The lights around her seemed to dim on command as her love finished up programing the small metal box under the monitor. She expected him to seat himself next to her and share the blanket, but he quite stubbornly refused that idea, choosing to instead wedge his body in between the couch and her back, one leg on either side of her own. She squeaked she he pulled her back onto his lap and settled his chin on her shoulder.

"Eh, don't do that so suddenly," she protested as he played through her long silky hair with his ever straying fingers. She could feel his chin rub against her neck as a phantom of a kiss was placed on her shoulder. She didn't complain about that.

"Shh, it's more confrotable this way."

"For me or for you?" she laughed as the menu came up.

"For me, of course. Have you tried the pop corn yet?"

Sakura stuck her hand in the pile and brought a few of the butter soaked kernels to her mouth. "Mmmmm. It's good, aren't you going to play the movie?"

"Not until you find something," he stubbornly replied.

Sakura frowned, but continued to eat along side the red haired artist who was laughing silently behind her. She could feel his chest rumble with the enjoyment he wouldn't verbalize. Her hand brushed alongside something cold and metal. She could feel him smile behind her as she pulled it out of the bowl. "What is-is this what you wanted me to find?"

"Yes, pull it out, will you. I want to see your face. I can hardly wait." His voice and breath were hot against her ear, causing her to shiver in enjoyment. She did love the heat, after all.

Complying with his wishes, she pulled out the cold band of metal and stared at it in amazement. It was a ring, beautifully crafted by who she would guess to be a master. There was a large pink diamond in the middle, surrounded by small silver leaves. It looked like an elven ring. "It's....amazing."

"It's an engagement ring," he explained quickly with a nervous tone. "I stayed up all morning today, making it for you. I know it hasn't even been a week that we've know each other, and I know you probally don't want to commit like other women and-"

"Yes."

Sasori blinked, surprised. "What?"

"I said yes."

"Yes as in you'll marry me?"

"_YES_! Shut up and kiss me you idiot."

He did.

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**AN**:/This is a seven theme challenge I took up. There will be seven chapters, each with a theme.

Also, I put up a poll on my profile page. If you want to, you can go there and vote one who you want to see in the next muse inspiring oneshot I'm going to do. Because while my muse is low, I can always crank out these little oneshots for some strange reason. I though these were better than nothing while you wait for me to update my other stuff.

√1 Restless  
√2 New  
√3 Glow  
√4 Reflection  
√5 Buckle

**6. Leaves****  
****7. Crackle**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!!_**

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	6. Leaves

**LEAVES**

Pairing: _Sakura Sasori  
_Rating: T+  
Genre: Romance/ action  
Words:2403  
Standard Disclaimer applied

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We all have a weakness,  
but some of ours are easy to identify,

Look me in the eye,  
and ask for forgiveness.

We'll make a pact to never speak that word again,  
yes, you are my friend.

We all have something that digs at us,  
at least we dig each other.

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LEAVES

Sasori and Sakura both lived in the desert. Way out in the deserts of Arizona. That being said, there weren't a lot of trees that the happy couple could enjoy. In truth, there weren't any trees as far as the eye could see. (The cactus don't count.) This didn't bother Sasori, never had, never would... _until_ Sakura developed an intriguing nag in something other than desert rock and dust.

It had been a full week since Sakura had crashed into Sasori's yard and Saosir was a bit hesitant in making the slightest movement without Sakura being in his sight. She had said that a week after she crashed that her brothers would come to get her, as in pick her up. He wondered if they would forget about her or come back with a vengeance to liberate their dearest sister. Would they come after him like they hand with their other brother had been captured? Would they take her away by force if the need arose? She had a free will to choose where she lived, right?

"Sakura?"

"Hmm, Sasori?" she asked, looking up from her book with tired, half lidded eyes.

The red haired artist couldn't help but smile. "Would you like to take a trip?"

"A trip? Where do you want to go?"

Sasori smiled, feeling a bit more ate ease with her soothing voice floating around the room. "I have a cabin up in Sholo. It's a nice change of scenery from everything you see out this window. Would you like to see some real trees again, or are these red rocks enough?"

Sakura grinned at his teasing voice and closed her book. "The red earth is healthy for me, that's true, but as of now I am fully healed and would enjoy a brief change of scenery. I'm willing to leave whenever you want to."

"So if I said in three hours...?"

Sakura looked surprised. "Don't you need to plan and pack? I though trips took more preparation than this."

"Not with me, I hate to be kept waiting. The packing would only take a few hours, depending on how long you would like to stay. Aside from that, there are a few ma' and pa' shops down there that sell clothing that is not so... eye catching. I've been meaning to take you out shopping."

Sakura pouted. "What's wrong with my clothes?"

"Nothing in and of themselves, they just make other guys look at you," Sasori answered quickly.

"And you would know that how?"

Sasori simply frowned as the thought entered his mind. To be honest, they would probably stare anyway-no matter what she was wearing. She could be dressed in maternity sweats and still turn heads. That could turn out to be a problem later on in life. "I just know," was his toneless answer.

Sakura seemed to notice the inner turmoil in his mind and laughed quietly at it. It was cute to see him get jealous, especially when that was such a rare thing for him to do. When she had looked into his memory, she had seen only a few times where he cared about something enough to actually get jealous over it. There wasn't very much he actually cared about in his life. But the few things he did care about...well, there was a different story there. If he really did care about something, like his first wooden puppets, he was extremely protective, possessive and obsessive about them.

He was so different from the hallow and uncaring artist named Sai who had taken her in so many years ago. She frowned at the memory. He got jealous too, but it was like the jealousy of a small child, holding a tone of desperation. Sai was young and immature compared to Sasori who was only a few years older in age. There wasn't a huge age gap between the two physically, but mentally there was a world of difference.

It was a good difference for Sakura, now that she was staying with the more mature one. With Sai she felt like a mother or an older sister caring for her family member. But with Sasori she felt alive and mature and so much more like a woman. She felt like herself that didn't need to hide. She loved the feeling.

"I'll be ready in a few minuets. You don't need three hours to pack and I know you don't like waiting. It'll be nice to get out."

Sasori looked like he wanted to say something, but chose not to, seeing as how she was already up and moving. She glided past him and gave the side of his face a caring pat before kissing it. "I won't take long, don't wait up."

Sasori inwardly smiled as she slipped behind him and headed for her room. He turned around to watch her and out of nowhere had the urge to hug her. Seeing as how she was too far away he settled for shouting a "I love you" down the hallway.

"I know," Sakura called back with a sly wave of her hand and swivel of her hips.

-

Two and a half hours later Sasor and Sakura were pulling into the Log styled cabin that was nestled in the colder regions of Arizona. Sasori pulled them into the driveway with his 02, cherry red Lamborghini Murcielago, only to hit the breaks suddenly when he saw the bright yellow tail end of a well known '03 Ferrari Enzo.

"Crap." he cursed darkly under his breath, glaring venomously at the accursed car in his driveway. "Of all the times."

"Isn't that Deidara's car?" He companion proceeded to choke in fear-but in a cool, calm, hot looking way.

Sasori paled at her words. How could she know about Deidara? God, did she see him? That would be bad. That guy was such a lady killer without even trying to be. Was there anyone out there that couldn't say no to a guy that rich? Sasori stopped his thoughts right there before he scared himself to death. "How did you know about him?"

"The first time I kissed you a lot of your memories entered my mind. Deidara was one of them." Sakura smiled slylying, able to read between the lines of Sasori's thoughts. "And yes, that including a visual representation."

Crap

Shit

Damn

Darn

F*ck

I'm screw

Hell...

The list goes on and crosses into several other languages.

Sakura leaned over and kisses her lover on the lips, chasing away his thoughts. "Sasori, it's fine. You are the one I gave my heart to and you are the only one who can make my heart fly. No one else on this planet can do that, so don't worry. I love you."

The red haired artist relaxed, recognizing her words as truth. Sakura was the only one he loved and in return he knew he would be the only one she loved. She was giving up her imortality for him, wasn't she? That had to stand for a whole lot. "Maybe I could be reassured if you kissed me again."

Sakura laughed, pulling away, before squeaking in surprise when he puled her onto his lap to attack with kisses. He wasn't a guy that took 'No' for an answer when he wanted it this much. Sakura gasped out when he hit a sensitive part under her jaw, right under her head. "Sa-Sa-sor-" she panted, trying to push him away, despite her inner longings. They were in a car for heaven's sake in front of a house that they knew had someone in it.

Sasori relented, remembering there was a blond he needed to kick out of his house, and let her slide off his lap, but not before having one last nip at her ear. He really didn't want to let her go, but he had a mind that reminded him there was more in the world that just him and his lover. Wouldn't it be nice if it were really just the two of them, though?

Pushing such thoughts away, he climbed out of his car and started up the pathway to his house, keys in hand. He didn't bother knocking or ringing, knowing it was his house and that his blond friend never locked anything. For safety reasons, he wanted Sakura to wait in the car until Deidara left. If he saw her-wow Sasori did not want that to happen.

"Deidara," he called, kicking the door shut behind him. Something in the back room fell and Sasori could hear loud and darkly colored curses fill the air. Yup, he was here. "Deidara you lazy buttocks of a dullard, you mind telling me what are you doing in my house?"

The bumbling blond came into the living room, rubbing his head and grumbling about how there was a stick up somewhere unpleasant on his friend. "Shit man, couldn't you have come a bit later? I was just about to fall asleep."

"Get a hotel room." Sasori was not amused as he answered with a straight face. That banging noise must have been him falling out of bed.

"They're all dirty."

"Then stay at a clean one."

Deidara looked away and pouted, not used to this much trouble with his red haired friend. "I don't like staying at places I don't know, you know that. I wanna crash at your place."

Sasori sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Don't you have an apartment flat of your own? Why can you not use that? Did you loose your keys again?"

"No. my manager is looking for me to finish one of my projects that should have been finished weeks ago and I don't want him to find me. I've got no muse for anything and I don't want to work without it. You know what that is like, right?"

Sasori stalled, but only for a moment. He wasn't going to let anything get between him and Sakura. Not even the pity of an artist. "Sorry, Deidara, but you will have to find another place to stay. I need this house for the week and I can't have you making a mess of it."

"Kind of late for that, the back room is trashed."

"I do not mean mess in those respects," Sasori sighed, placing his hands on his friend and pushing him out onto the porch. "You can stay at my house if you want, but don't let me see you this week unless you want a thrashing."

"Yeah but I-Holy shiit do you see that? Dibs!" Deidara hissed, freezing in place. Sasori followed his eyes and cursed inwardly when he saw Sakura at the mailbox, leafing through his mail. She was at the end of the driveway and at the community mailbox, so she could have been easily mistaken for a neighbor. Bad news for Sasori just got worse.

Sakura looked up and caught them staring and waved back, briefly before brushing a leaf out of hair. She looked just like an A class model in that small movement. But then again, she always looked like a model. That was like an invite for Deidara to make a move. Bad move, Sakura. Deidara made a move to walk over to her but Sasori had a tight hold on the back of the blond's shirt. "What's the big deal, I saw first."

"No you didn't," he growed through tightly clenched teeth.

"Yes I did."

Sasori tried to calm himself before responding. "That's my fiancée, you bafoon."

Didara whipped back to stare down his best friend with wide blue eyes. "No way! We've only been away for-I just saw you last month and, h-how long-and with her of all and....why didn't I know you got engaged to a smoking hot babe?"

"Goodby Deidara," Sasori reply, folding his friend into his car and slamming the door shut.

"You're inviting me to the weeding, right?" the blond called out the window as Sasori took Sakura's hand and led her into the house. The pink haired girl glowing with laughting as he snaked his hand around her waist and pulled her closer to his side.

"I'll be the best man right?"

SLAM

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**AN**:/This is a seven theme challenge I took up. There will be seven chapters, each with a theme.

While my muse is low, I can always crank out little oneshots for some strange reason. I though these were better than nothing while you wait for me to update my other stuff. I don't know if they're annoying or not. I don't know. Feel free to tell me *cough*review*cough* Thanks.

√1 Restless  
√2 New  
√3 Glow  
√4 Reflection  
√5 Buckle  
√6. Leaves

**7. Crackle**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!!_**

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	7. Crackle

**CRACKLE**

Pairing: _Sakura Sasori  
_Rating: T+  
Genre: Romance/ action  
Words:0000  
Standard Disclaimer applied

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We all have a weakness,  
but some of ours are easy to identify,

Look me in the eye,  
and ask for forgiveness.

We'll make a pact to never speak that word again,  
yes, you are my friend.

We all have something that digs at us,  
at least we dig each other.

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CRACKLE

Sasori and Sakura had stayed at his second home in the mountains for close to a week. Six days to be precise. nN the seventh, Sakura and he had agreed that it would be best if they return to her red rocks and his work. He had insisted that work was not a problem, what with his muse being at an all time high, but Sakura didn't want to risk him falling behind anymore than he already was.

Deidara had come back once again to inform them of his sudden muse rush and was annoyingly persistent about having a part in Sasori's weeding. He was dead set on being his friend's best man. Anything less and he wouldn't attend. fear of his bugging friend was another one of the reasons that drove Sasori to eventually evacuate his vacation home in favor of his secluded flat out in the red desert.

If he had known what was waiting for him once they returned, he would have never let her leave.

They left early in the morning, deciding they wanted to get home by lunch time to eat whatever it was Sakura had chosen to make. For not having lived very long on the earth, she was an amazingly talented cook that had a special talent for deserts. Being a man that hated to be kept waiting on anything, Sasori would have skipped her meals altogether and go straight for the deserts if the meals had not been so deliciously mouthwatering.

This was one of the many reason he speed and average of twenty five to fifteen miles above the speed limit.

Sasori pulled over and slowed down on the dirt road the led to his house, listening to something Sakura was saying about the plant life when his engine suddenly died. The radio went off and the previously full battery on his phone was depleted.

"What the?" he murmured, climbing out of the car to stand in front of the hood. "Something must be wrong with the engine."

He happy, carefree smile was gone as Sakura picked up his cellular phone and inspected it, unable to turn the thing back on. "But, that wouldn't account for they way your cell phone is behaving. Anything electrical is..." her tone took a nose dive and she began to murmur to herself in some other language that sounded something like fairy talk. Coming to some sort of relization she jumped out of the car and screamed something a second too late to be heard.

The earth in front of them opened up, dust and dirt jumping for the sky in an effect similar to an explosion. But nothing had been fired.

Sakura ran for Sasori and grabbed him, shielding his body with her own. Metal components that had been absorbed into her body days before came on command and formed a protective barrier of sorts around the two of them. The superficial wounds that scraped across her skin quickly healed with the aid of adrenaline. Thankfully, she wasn't seriously hurt. Spending so much time on heart had slowed her healing abilities.

"Are you okay?" she asking in one breath, gasping a bit from fear for her beloved.

"I'm fine, what about you?" He reached up to touch a strand of wire thin metal that sprang from her back.

She smiled softly at his wonder, pulling the metal back into her body. "I'm fine. There will be another explosion soon so we had better move."

The two of them stood and began to sprint off the road, shaken by another blast close to where they had previously stood. They broke out into a full out run, just narrowly missing another objectless explosion.

Sasor wanted to ask what was going on, but was shoved aside in an instant as Sakura skipped into the opposite direction, attracting another explosion. They were following her! Were these the same being that had shot her down in the first place, wounding her to the point where she needed help from a mere human? God, he hoped not. He hoped it was all a mistake that would soon vanish like mist in the late morning.

"Stay back!" She screamed.

"Sakura you-"

"Stay and hide, you'll only get hurt."

As much as it hurt, he understood and saw the truth to her words. She was a fighter and he was an artist.

Sakura jumped into the air, soaring high than any human possibly could, and stood there, void of gravity. Single stands of hair waved around her face, falling and rising every which way as her clothing did the same. nothing seemed to be bound by gravity as long as it was in contact with her, allowing her body to rise and fall as she wished. So that was why her outfits were always so skin tight.

She pulled out a metal rod from her collarbone and swung it at the air, creating a rift that drifted like a ripple, expanding till it hit the invisible object that had been folded into the sky. It was human like, in some ways, but appeared to be two demonsional- like a shadow. It had no face or distinguishing features, just a oval on a body that writhed in pain.

Something in the air behind her wavered and Sakura turned to attack it, a nano second too late. She flew through the sky and crashed down to earth. Sasori called out her name, feeling his heart stop in his chest at the thought of loosing her-something he would never be able to live with. He didn't have to fear for her. She sprang right back up, her clothes torn and dirtied-shooting and retracting spear like rods from her body.

Two, than three more of the black, faceless creatures fell and Sasori though that would be the end to it, but more and more of theses invisible things seemed to exists, since Sakura kept sustaining injuries from seemingly nowhere. Her wrists were both bleeding, making it hard to grasp anything in her hands. She seemed to hate this more that the huge gash that tore down her right lef or the slice through her abdomen. A cut from navel to brest freed her shirt and hindered her movements, slowing her down to where she had to abandon it all together and fight in only her undergarments and jeans.

She didn't seem to be tired, but Sasori knew that deep wounds like these would take a long time for her to heal. He had watched her recover from the first set when she had turned up on his doorstep. She could take a lot more than he or any other human could, he knew that, but not knowing how long she would have to suffer tore up Sasori's insides.

He was about to go man in suspense when something like lighting ripped through the sky and struck down two of the black things. Projectiles of ice shot down and killed another three at once. Sakura didn't stop to question the help, using the opportunity of confusion with the enemy to strike another four fatal blows. She used a detatched metal rod as a current to inflict double the amount of damage to one, killing him in half the effort with a defining crackle. The air began to smell of the disintegrating bodies.

Sakura stilled and retracted the metal that was still in her hands back into her body. She looked weary, but relieved-her smile told him that. There weren't any of those things around, it seemed. That was either the end to the faceless creatures or they decided it healthier to retreat and live while they still can.

The invisible floor underneath her collapsed and Sakura drifted to the ground, landing on her feet.

"Sakura!" he cried, jumping up from his flattened position on the ground and running towards her. She looked up at him and smiled, lifting up an arm to accept his embrace. He didn't make t into her arms, having been pushed aside by a wall of swirling water.

"Zabuza stop! He's good!" Sakura called out, turning towards her fallen love only to be held back by a man flickering with electricity. "Kakashi, you too? Let me go."

There was a man, tall and dark looming over Sasori. His navy colored hair spiked off to one side as he coxed his head to get a better look at the floored human. "You can't trust these humans, Sakura. You should know that better than most. You were there at the liberation."

Sakura shrugged off Kakashi's hug like restraint and took a quivering steep towards the taller man who was wearing only a pair of camouflage gray pants and a belt across his chest. "I know that well, Zabuza, but Sasori isn't like those people, he's an artist-"

"You should bother to remember their names, Sakura." Kakashi said,coming up behind Sakura to support her and also hold onto her least she try something drastic. To Sasori it looked like an excuse for physical contact. "The last time you chose to have a relationship with a human being was also with an artist, wasn't it? That did not turn out well for anyone in the end."

Sakura frowned, looking back over her shoulder at her older 'brother' and friend. "Sasori is different that Sai. He won't hurt me. And even if he wanted to, he couldn't."

Hurt? Sakura hadn't mentioned that about the artist named Sai. Had he tried to do her bodily harm when she tried to leave him? That sounded likely as well as plausible. People that find themselves in obsessive relationships often jump to extremes.

Zabuza took a steep away from Sasori who stood up shakily, dripping wet, and took a position beside Sakura to stroke her hair. "I don't care about their abilities. What concerns me is their intent and their nature as human beings. There are some things you can not deny nor defend Sakura. They are beings of destruction, not worthy of our second glances."

Kakashi shrugged, exhaling through his mask. "It doesn't really matter, though. You're going to come home with us and leave all this drama behind. this human will soon be dead. he's already used up much of his life."

"That's where you're wrong, Kakashi. I'm planning on staying with Sasori."

The two alien males looked at each other over her head and chuckled. "Come on, Sakura. Stop fooling around. Everyone misses you and wants you back...well, most of them. The older farts couldn't care less about much of anything," Kakashi answered in a casual voice.

"He's right Sakura. And you should know better that one or two more weeks isn't worth risking another encounter with the monsters. You can't stay here. You're not strong enough to mask your essence like the elders."

"I'm not planning on masking my essence." Sakura replied darkly, refusing to look either in the eye. "I aim to destroy it completely and live and die as the humans do."

Sasori felt something like a third wheel as the three of them talked about matters he had little to no knowledge of. But when she spoke of planning to live and die as a human, something like pride welled up in his chest. She loved him enough to do that. To throw away all that she was and become his.

The feeling didn't last long. The one Sakura had addressed as Zabuza was quick to launch another pillar like wave of water in his direction. Sasori jumped to the side too late to avoid being hit a second time. the malice and hate weaved into the attack was not lost on the red haired artist.

"Zabuza no! Stop it!" Sakura screamed running from their grip to her beloved's side. Kakashi grabbed her a yard short and held her back, unmoved by her tears.

"You can't!" Zabuza all but hissed, his voice sounding like the growl of demons. "We won't allow it!"

"You're delusional Sakura. You can't want death. You're coming back with us ."

Sasori climbed to his knees, choking out water and gasping for breath. "Bastard, let he go," he wheezed out, not at all concerned for himself.

Lightning flickered from Kakashi's form, doing nothing to injure Sakura who was connected elementally to metal, a conductor of the bright force. The two locked eyes for a moment as Zabuza froze a part of the water around the human's legs. Kakashi didn't say anything, but Sasori knew that that look meant the alien knew he could kill this human with a flick of his wrist and have no qualms about the act.

"Kakashi if you dare I swear I'll kill myself all the same!" Sakura screamed, struggling to break free of his restraint. Her blood oozed out faster than before and dripped onto the ground and pools falling over his arms. Her blood on his hands seemed to break the connection between the two.

"Don't say that, Sakura." Zabuza was at her side kneeling down and looking up at her with gentle puppy dog eyes that begged her. "You don't mean it."

"I have never meant anything more in my life. I want what Hinata and Tenten had. I want to have that something so badly and I've found it. You know I'm going to die keeping it, because giving it up or living without it is impossible for me, I'm that far from saving. So, don't you dare try to take that from me because you will only end up regretting it," Sakura hissed, glaring at her loving brothers, both of whom looked as if they had just been informed that their whole family or entire world had been obliterated. Both of them looked young, but the weight of this realization seemed to age them five to ten years.

The stared at him in disbelief for a while before Kakashi spoke up. "Hinata and Tenten were foolish. They didn't know what they wanted and the certainly didn't know what they were getting when they gambled on the prospect of throwing away their immortality for love." He spoke the last word as if it were a curse.

"Don't be foolish, we love you Sakura, and we're willing to care for you for not a limited period of sixty some odd years. We'll cherish you for millenniums! You can't logically think this through if you're willing to throw all you have away from only a instance of pleasure!"

"It's the only pleasure I'll ever have." Her cold glare melted into a smile as she looked over at Sasori who was watching with pride and fear for her safety. This feeling was amazing and she wasn't about to give it up. She turned back towards Zabuza who was close to tears and held his face in on of her blood drenched hands. "Maybe one day you'll understand when you find someone on earth."

"Sakuraaaaaa," he breathed, seemingly defeated. How could she say such things to him when she knew about how he felt towards him? She was too cruel.

"Zabuza," this time it was Kakashi who spoke to him. "Let's go."

"What? You're not serious!"

Kakshi smiled that age old smile of his, comforting Sakura who had studied under him as his student. "Sakura has made up her mind and I love her enough to respect that. We should let her be now before she threatens to not invite us to the wedding. You will do that, won't you?"

Sakura giggled and smiled, falling on her rump. "Of course, i'll have you there. Thank you, Kakashi."

"I don't understand," the water wilder growled. "You're giving up? Just like that? I can't believe you Kakashi, that's pathetic, even for you."

Kakashi left Sakura's side and clamped a hand down on Zabuza's shoulder. "No, my friend, that is what you call _love_." And just like that, the two were gone, along with the ice and water that once bound Sasori to the earth.

Freed, he jumped up and ran to her side, hugging her fiercely despite the blood that stained his attire. He kissed her face and whispered her name to himself like a mantara, greatful to have her by his side after a seemingly long time that looked as if she would leave him.

"I'm never letting you out of my sight again, damn it."

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**AN**:/This is a seven theme challenge I took up. There will be seven chapters, each with a theme.

While my muse is low, I can always crank out little oneshots for some strange reason. I though these were better than nothing while you wait for me to update my other stuff. I don't know if they're annoying or not. Some peeps are sying they don't mind, others say the like em an them more say that would rather have me update my other works. Still, I am always open to opinions. Feel free to tell me *cough*review*cough* Thanks.

√1 Restless  
√2 New  
√3 Glow  
√4 Reflection  
√5 Buckle  
√6. Leaves  
√7. Crackle

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!!_**

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**END as in THE END!**


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